Sewagegn Geremew Bitew, Abate Dagm Fikir
Ethiopia Biodiversity Institute, Bahir Dar Biodiversity Center, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Forest Research Center and Associated Laboratory TERRA, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
Heliyon. 2022 Sep 5;8(9):e10491. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10491. eCollection 2022 Sep.
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Churches comprise remnant native woody species around their premises that are important for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. The current study was conducted to examine woody species diversity and carbon stock of church forests along age gradient in Dangila district, Awi-zone, Ethiopia. A list of documented churches was taken from parish council and tourism that categorized into three age gradients i.e., >200yrs, 100-200yrs and ≤100yrs. Then one church was purposively selected from each age gradient. At each of the selected churches, three Gentry transect lines were laid down systematically in three cardinal directions with 120° interval. Tree height and DBH/DSH ≥5cm were measured and saplings were counted within 2m width; whereas, seedling with height <1m was counted from three plots of 2 m × 2 m size along the transect line. Woody species diversity and evenness were computed using Shannon diversity and Evenness indices and carbon stock estimation was done by allometric equation. A total of 91 woody species belong to 45 families and 77 genera were recorded in the church forests. Woody species community structure along age gradients showed an inverted J-shape. The mean Shannon diversity of old, middle and recent church age gradient was 2.85 ± 0.21, 2.74 ± 0.13 and 2.37 ± 0.49 respectively. Woody species richness is statistically significant along age classes. The mean total biomass carbon stock along old, middle and recent age gradients was 64.58 ± 23.58, 65.22 ± 63.47 and 18.65 ± 11.02 metric ton respectively. Hence, old aged churches play a better role for indigenous woody species conservation and carbon sequestration.
埃塞俄比亚东正教提瓦希多教会的教堂周边留存着一些本土木本物种，这些物种对于生物多样性保护和碳固存具有重要意义。本研究旨在调查埃塞俄比亚阿维地区丹吉拉区沿年龄梯度的教会森林的木本物种多样性和碳储量。从教区议会和旅游业获取了一份有记录的教堂清单，这些教堂被分为三个年龄梯度，即>200年、100 - 200年和≤100年。然后从每个年龄梯度中 purposively 选取一座教堂。在每座选定的教堂，在三个基本方向上以120°间隔系统地布设三条绅士样带。测量树高和胸径/地径≥5厘米的树木，并统计2米宽范围内的幼树数量；而对于高度<1米的幼苗，则沿着样带从三个2米×2米大小的样地中进行统计。使用香农多样性指数和均匀度指数计算木本物种多样性和均匀度，并通过异速生长方程进行碳储量估算。在教会森林中总共记录了91种木本物种，分属45科77属。沿年龄梯度的木本物种群落结构呈倒J形。古老、中年和近代教堂年龄梯度的平均香农多样性分别为2.85±0.21、2.74±0.13和2.37±0.49。木本物种丰富度在不同年龄组之间具有统计学意义上的差异。古老、中年和近代年龄梯度的平均总生物量碳储量分别为64.58±23.58、65.22±63.47和18.65±11.02公吨。因此，古老的教堂在本土木本物种保护和碳固存方面发挥着更好的作用。 （注：purposively 这个词在语境中不太好准确翻译，这里保留英文，可能需要结合更详细背景来准确表述其确切含义）
